Photovoltaic cells are widely used for generation of electricity, with multiple photovoltaic cells interconnected in module assemblies. Such modules may in turn be arranged in arrays and integrated into building structures or otherwise assembled to for large scale conversion of solar energy into electricity by the photovoltaic effect.
Certain photovoltaic cell fabrication processes involve monolithic integration of the cells of a module. For thin film solar modules, this involves depositing thin film materials on a substrate to form a light absorbing layer sandwiched between electrical contact layers. The front or top contact is a transparent and conductive layer for current collection and light enhancement, the light absorbing layer is a semiconductor material, and the back contact is a conductive layer to provide electrical current. In one example of a fabrication process, a metallic back electrical contact layer is deposited on a substrate. A p-type semiconductor layer is then deposited on the back contact electrical contact layer and an n-type semiconductor layer is deposited on the p-type semiconductor layer to complete a p-n junction. Any suitable semiconductor materials, such as CIGS, CIS, CdTe, CdS, ZnS, ZnO, amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, etc. may be used for these layers. A top transparent electrode layer is then deposited on the p-n junction. This layer may be a conductive oxide or other conductive film and is used for current collection. The thin film materials are appropriately scribed with a laser beam to form multiple interconnected cells on the substrate.